The Impact of Network Engineer Configuration on Campus Network Performance

This qualitative multiple case study aimed to explore the impact of network engineer configuration on the campus network performance. A convenience, multi-stage, and systematic sampling methods were used to reach out to network engineers working for public universities in the Midwest United States. Three theories, namely the Swiss cheese model (TSCM), competitive parity (CP), and SWOT analysis, were included in the conceptual framework. The primary concepts under study were garbage in, garbage out, and a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. The study made use of questionnaires and surveys. A total of 67 network engineers completed the questionnaire, and 10 participated in interviews. The impact of network engineer configuration on the campus network performance manifested itself through the actions done my network engineers. I established that network engineers design, configure, and maintain the campus network infrastructure. Network engineers’ actions directly impacted campus network performance. The network engineers compromised network performance by using outdated and inaccurate network design documentation. The network engineers confronted the challenges of resource constraints. Organizations experienced poor network performance due to legacy systems and incompatibility issues. Network engineers performed reworks after completing the change management configuration. Rapid technological advancement resulted in a widened gap for engineers with the latest needed skillsets for supporting the campus network. Experienced network engineers could quickly identify and fix network problems